Save Paper and Save Trees

Reuse paper to cut down on the amount of trees used to create paper. There are many easy and fun ways to reuse paper.

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Paper is Precious Don't Waste It

How many trees worth of paper have you used in your lifetime?That is a question one typically does not want to think about. It is very easy to waste paper. It requires conscious effort to remember to conserve paper and set up a system to fully use every piece of paper you encounter. Stop just randomly throwing out paper or putting it in the recycling bin. Use every bit of it and do your part to save the trees.

Collect Scrap Paper

Make a promise to yourself that from this point on you will be more careful with paper usage. Then find a bin or a box and set up a scrap paper site in a drawer or in a closet. Get in the habit of putting all paper that could be reused in the scrap paper bin. Build the habit of fully using all paper.

If you type out a draft of something and don’t need it once the article is finalized, put that paper in the bin to use the reverse side for scrap paper. Do the same thing with any flyers you received in the mail. Make a habit of using the reverse side of paper for scrap paper. Save brand new paper for creating final articles or for letter writing.

Make New Paper from Paper Scraps

Craft stores sell paper making kits. They are inexpensive and easy to use. Take scraps of paper and liquidize them to form a new sheet of paper. This is a fun project to do with kids and teaches them to respect the many uses for scrap paper.

Don’t Use New Paper to Wrap Gifts

Wrap gifts only with recycled gift wrap, newspaper, old maps, scrap paper, reusable fabric, or brown paper bags from the grocery store. Do not use new paper to wrap gifts. Better yet, do not use any paper to wrap gifts.

Reuse Envelopes

Reuse envelopes you receive in the mail if possible.Build the habit of examining each piece of mail and saving viable envelopes for reuse. Start a drawer or box to save them and help save paper and save money, too.

Use Newspapers from the Recycling Bin

Don’t buy new newspapers. Get your news secondhand out of the recycling bin of an apartment complex. Towns are full of apartment complexes with huge recycling bins.

Used newspapers are also useful for lining kitty litter pans, wrapping gifts, wrapping items to pack for moving, and serving as a buffer when packing items to ship.

Save new paper for other uses and used recycled newspaper for tasks that do not require beautiful presentation.

Reuse all Cardboard Items

Do not throw out cardboard items. Reuse them as a stiff piece of paper for craft projects or as a sturdy item to use to write a note to someone. Cardboard has many uses. Recycle it by using it again after you are done with it in its original use.

Reuse Holiday Cards

Make postcards out of the front of holiday cards. These festive postcards will spread joy when you mail them. You may also want to use the pictures from birthday and holiday cards in craft projects.